Gage system



R. E. SMITH GAGE SYSTEM Nov. 26, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 2,1964 INVENTOR leoaaertarr/r4 BY P 3M ATTORNEYS Nov. 26, 1968 R. E. SMITH3,412,471

GAGE SYSTEM Filed Nova 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT OR BM WWknee-era: sn/nv i'igl ywmzsaw ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,412,471GAGE SYSTEM Robert Earl Smith, Kettering, Ohio, assignor to DaytonPerforators Inc., Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Nov. 2,1964, Ser. No. 408,024 Claims. (Cl. 33-180) This invention relates togage units and more particularly to gage units enabling a more criticalinspection of tools for production piercing procedures.

A production piercing tool, in reference to which the present inventionwill be described, uses a spring pressed locking ball to fix a punchrelative its retainer, as in US. Patent No. 1,621,811. The optimum useof this tool requires that the piercing punch be precisely and firmlyfixed to its retainer. To hand finish the respective tool components toinsure they will properly mate introduces an unreasonable time and costfactor in their procurement. On the other hand, in many instances it hasbeen found that a piercing punch and a punch retainer randomly selectedfrom a supply of each, respectively resulting from ordinary productionruns which utilize conventional inspection tools and procedures, willnot properly interfit.

The present invention is directed to a system and apparatus whichobviates the above described problem. It provides means to insure thatindependently fabricated punches and punch retainers of the typedescribed may be brought together, even from remote sources, and on theapplication of the locking ball they will properly interfit insubstantially all cases.

A primary object of the invention is to provide apparatus for a morecritical inspection of tools for production piercing procedures which iseconomical to fabricate, more efficient and satisfactory in use, andmore precise in its performance.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved devices for acorrelated inspection of production piercing punches and punchretainers.

A further object of the invention is to provide inspection toolsenabling production fabricated piercing punch elements and punchretainers to be universally interrelated in a more precise fashion.

An additional object of the invention is to provide improved productiongage means for retainers and piercing punch elements of the typedescribed which insure that these elements, even when randomly selected,will critically interfit.

Another object of the invention is to provide correlated inspectiongages for components of production piercing tools possessing theadvantageous structural features, the inherent meritoriouscharacteristics and the means and mode of use herein described.

With the above and other incidental objects in view as will more fullyappear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected byLetters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts andcombinations thereof, and the mode of operation as hereinafter describedor illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein is shown one but obviouslynot necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 shows an elevation view, in perspective, of an element of acompound gage for inspection of a retainer head for a productionpiercing punch;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view, in perspective, of a retainer head for aproduction piercing punch showing the application of the compound gageelements in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the application ofthe gage elements as shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view, in perspective, of a production piercingpunch and, applied thereto, an inspectlon gage unit in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the application ofthe gage unit as shown in FIG. 4;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are fragmentary illustrations, in cross section, of animproper interfit of a production piercing punch and its retainer; and

FIGS. 8-10 illustrate a proper and more critical interfit of aproduction piercing punch and its retainer as enabled by the presentinvention.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe several views.

As may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, a retainer head 10 fora production piercing punch has a block form and includes, at one endthereof, a vertical through passage or bore 11 which accommodates thehead of a punch. Opening from the top of the head, in adjacent spacedrelation to the upper end of passage 11, is a relatively inclinedintersecting passage or bore 12. The passage 12 has a teardrop shapedopening into the side of passage 11, adjacent and spaced from the bottomof the head 10. As particularly seen in FIG. 3, the passage 12 inclinesat a 15 angle to the central axis of the passage 11.

The invention apparatus for the critical gaging of the head 10 consistsof a rod-like device 13 for insertion in the passage 11 to simulate theapplication of the head of a punch and a further rod-like unit 14 forapplication as insert means in the passage 12.

The device 13 includes an elongated tubular handle 15 havinglongitudinally flatted surface portions 16. Nesting in fixed relation toone end of the handle 15 is a projecting rod 17 formed integral with andgenerally coaxial to a generally cylindrical gage head 18. The projectedextremity of the head 18 includes a step forming diametrically separatedaxially spaced end surface'portions 19 and 20. Spaced inwardly of itssurface portions 19 and 20, the head 18 is peripherally reduced to formthereon a conical surface portion 21 which deviates inwardly at a 15angle. The innermost convergent extremity of the surface portion 21merges with an arcurately expanding surface portion 22 of the head 18and terminates at its remote extremity in a bevel portion 25. Outside ofits projected extremity and the particularly formed intermediateportions 21, 22, and 25, the head 18 has a generally uniform transversesection.

The companion gage unit 14 includes a cylindrical handle portion 23 theextremities of which are knurled. Projecting coaxial with and from oneend of the handle 23 is a tube 24. Fixed in the projected extremity ofthe tube 24 is a carbide ball bearing element 26 the diameter of whichis larger than that of the tube 24. It is to be noted that the end ofthe handle 23 from which the tube 24 projects has the form of a conicalsection 27 the outer surface of which inclines at a 15 angle to itsbase.

In checking a retainer for a production piercing punch as illustrated,the head 18 of the gage element 13 is inserted in the punch receivingpassage 11. During this process, the bevel 25 precludes damage to theretainer surface. At the same time, the tube 24 and ball 26 of the gageunit 14 is inserted in the passage 12, which passage is adapted toreceive a punch retaining element. The tapered 15 angle portion 27 ofthe handle 23 insures a proper orientation of the ball 26 as it isprojected through the teardrop shaped opening to the passage 11. Theball 26 is projected inwardly, in the manner of a ball type retainer, toabut the conical surface portion of the punch simulating gage head 18.In the event the ball 26 engages the surface portion 21 withinsubstantially the intermediate half of its longitudinal extent, the gage13 is so held that the upper surface portion of the retainer will fallwithin the limits defined by the gage surfaces 19 and 20. In such eventthe retainer is acceptable and, in such instance, it is assured that onapplication of a properly formed punch to this retainer, the punch willproperly interfit and be firmly held to the retainer by a locking ballin a manner as evidenced in FIGS. 8-10 of the drawings.

For the checking of punches P to be applied to satisfactory punchretainers, the invention provides the gage structure 28, as shown inFIGS. 4 and of the drawings.

The body of the device 28 consists of an annular block 29 having acentral through passage 30 which accommodates the head of a productionpiercing punch P. The peripheral surface of block 29 has a flattedportion 31. The block 29 also includes a radial passage 32 perpendicularto the fiat 31, opening to one end to the passage 30 and at its otherend from the center of the flat. Slidably mounting in the radial passage32 of the block 29 is a tubular projection 33 on a relatively expandedhead portion 34. The head 34 forms a shoulder 35 adapted to seat inabutting relation to the flat 31, The inner end of the tube 33 fixedlymounts a projected ball bearing element 36. The dimension of the tube 33and the element 36 provides that as the shoulder 35 of head 34 abuts theflat 31 the ball 36 will project inwardly of the passage 30 in the block29. l

The tube 33 has a circumferential groove providing longitudinally spacedshoulders. Projected perpendicular thereto through one face of the block29 is a threadedly engaged screw pin 37. The inner end of the pin 3'1 isadapted to depend in the radial passage 32 and to pro ect between thespaced shoulders on the tube 33. In this way one defines the limits ofradial movement of the gage element including the head 34, tube 33 andball 36. The positioning of the shoulders on the tube 33 is such toprevent a relative displacement of the tube from the body 29 except inthe event the screw 37 is displaced from the passage 32.

As seen in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the block 29 has a step formed in oneface 40, on a diametrical line 41 parallel to the plane defined by thefiat 31. This step is provided by one wall of a groove 42 having a base43. The groove 42 thereby creates axially displaced gage surfaces 43 and44.

In applying the device 28 to check production run piercing punchelements, the head of each punch P is inserted in passage 30. The punchP has, of course, conventionally formed in one side thereof, a teardropshaped concave recess R. For inspection purposes the recess is orientedto face the bearing element in the radial passage 32. The head 34 ispressed inward of the passage 32 to seat the ball 36 in the recess R andthe punch is pulled down against the ball as far as it will go, the balland its mount 33 acting as a retainer. If the head extremity of thepunch P then falls between the limits defined by the respective surfaces43 and 44 of the block 29, the punch is satisfactory.

It is to be noted from FIG. 3 of the drawings that in checking aretainer for optimum positioning the ball 26 of the gage in thisinstance, should position against the approximate center ofthelongitudinal extent of the conical surface 21 on the gage element 13.The center of the ball 26 is, at this point, at a predetermined depthfrom the uppermost surface of the retainer. Further, in checking aproperly formed punch element P in the device 28, the depth of thecontacting ball 36 to the outermost face surface 44 of the body 29corresponds to the aforementioned predetermined depth withinapproximately .01 inch. Since ball 36 simulates a locking ball it willtherefore be seen that any punch P checked out in the body 29 which hasits head extremity position between surfaces 43 and 44 will properlymate with a retainer which on checking thereof by gage elements 13 and14 has its upper surface fall between the surfaces 19 and 20 of the gagehead 18.

When a retainer and punch check out they will mate within the rangeshown in FIGS. 8-10 of the drawings.

FIG. 10 represents the optimum inspection results. In this case theinspection predetermines that a retainer ball B applied to the head 10will achieve a proper locking position in respect to the punch P,contacting the base surface of the punch recess R at approximately thecenter of the longitudinal extent of its inwardly directed portion C.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show the acceptable limits of the contact of the retainerball B along the surface C as dictated by the inspection apparatus andprocedure of the invention.

The invention thus precludes a condition, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 ofthe drawings, wherein a punch is applied to a retainer head and there isa resultant contact of a retainer ball B which occurs outside the middleor safety zone of the surface C as prescribed by the invention. In theinstance of FIG. 6 where the punch surface is engaged short of thesafety zone, the punch may pull out during its operation. In theinstance of FIG. 7 the punch may be engaged at the other extreme of thesafety zone and, as a consequence thereof, work loose and destroy itselfand its retainer by a relative vertical movement.

Thus by correlating the gage units, one achieves the objectives of theinvention. In the case of properly gaged punch and retainer unith,irrespective of their source, the retention of the punch relative theretainer will be achieved in a predetermined safe zone of the punch.

The devices applied and the defined limits of acceptance achieved by theinvention and the inspection system afforded thereby enable, therefore,a substantially universal interfit of resultantly accepted punch andpunch retainer elements of allegedly related size. This insures that atthe use level there is little, if any, likelihood of individual punchesand retainers being brought together and producing a loose, misalignedor misfit punch element. Accordingly, the invention obviates poorproduction results in the work to which the inspected punch units areapplied. It also minimizes the need for punch replacement or the handfinishing of the punch assembly components to render them fit for use.

From the above it will be apparent that there is thus provided a deviceof the character described possessing the particular features ofadvantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously issusceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detailconstruction and arrangement of parts without departing from theprinciple involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has beendescribed in language more or less specific as to structural features,it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificfeatures shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosedcomprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect,and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms ormodifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A gage unit for a ball retainer production piercing punch comprisinga body having a central through passage accommodating the head of apunch, a peripheral portion of said body being fiat, a second passage insaid body one end of which opens to said central through passage and theother end of which opens from said fiat, a retainer unit positioned forreciprocal movement in said second passage one extremity of which has anarcuate surface portion adapted to project in said central passage andfix relative said body the head of the piercing punch, means connectedwith said body to limit the extent of the reciprocal movement of saidretainer unit, one face of said body lying in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to the axis of said through passage, and means on asid oneface of said body defining the acceptable limits of projection of thehead extremity of a punch held within said body by said retainer unit.

2. A gage unit for the retainer head of a production piercing punchhaving a concave retention surface portion in one side, adjacent itshead end, the retainer head having a punch receiving passage and anintersecting passage for accommodating a punch retainer element,comprising a first rod-like element, the head of which is positionablein the punch receiving passage and includes an angularly inclinedsurface portion at its side, said rod-like element including at oneextremity a diametral step, said step providing, to either side thereof,surfaces in relatively spaced parallel planes adapted to position in thevicinity of the upper surface of the retainer head and a second rod-likeelement for positioning in said intersecting passage the inner extremityof which includes an arcuate retention surface projectable to engage theangularly inclined surface portion of the first mentioned rod-likeelement and position the stepped extremity thereof in a predeterminedrelation to the upper surface of the retainer head, the positioning ofsaid upper surface within the limits of said planes defined by saidstepped surface indicating the accept-ability of the retainer head.

3. An inspection gage for the retainer head of a production piercingpunch having a concave retention recess in the one side, the headincluding a vertical passage for receiving the head of a punch and anintersecting passage for receiving a spring biased retainer ball toengage in the punch recess and thereby fix the punch relative the head,comprising, a rod-like element having surfaces in axially spaced planesto one end and a conically reduced peripheral portion adjacent thereto,said one end being adapted for insertion in the punch passage of aretainer head, and a plug-like retention element for insertion in thepunch retainer passage including a projected extremity adapted to bearon said conically reduced peripheral portion of said rod-like elementand dispose said one end thereof in a fixed relation to the outer orupper surface of the retainer, the surface positioning within the limitsof said axially spaced planes determining its acceptability.

4. Gaging apparatus for insuring the universal interfit of productionpiercing punches of the type held by a ball retainer element and theirretainer heads consisting of a first compound gage unit including a gageelement having a surface portion exteriorly thereof defining relativelyaxially spaced planes and operatively related thereto a retainer rod theprojected extremity of which mounts a ball-type bearing element and, asecond gage unit functionally related to said first unit including abody element having a surface portion defining axially spaced planes andin conjunction therewith a rod-like element the projected extremity ofwhich has the contour of a ball hearing element, said units beingrespectively applied for inspection of the respective punch and retainercomponents and being characterized by the outermost of the axiallyspaced planes of each gage element and the appropriate positioning inrelation thereto of the associated ball-type bearing elementestablishing a spacing therebetween in reference to the elements beingchecked which is substantially identical.

5. Gaging apparatus as described in claim 4 characterized by the saidspacing having an acceptable deviation in the range of 0.1 inch.

6. Apparatus for inspecting the assembly characteristics of componentsof a production piercing punch means comprising a first element and aretainer element operatively related thereto, mating therewith andincluding a retention surface, disposed in a predetermined angularity inreference to said first element, when said elements are in gaugingposition in a component, said first element consisting of a rod one endof which is formed to define spaced parallel planes and an intermediateportion of which is conically tapered for engagement by the retentionsurface of said retainer element when said elements are in gaugingposition in a component, the other end of said rod being projected toserve as a handle for manipulation thereof.

7. Apparatus as described in claim 6 wherein said retainer elementconsists of a rod-like means and the retention surface thereof at oneextremity has an arcuate contour.

8. Apparatus for gauging the assembly characteristics of components of aproduction piercing punch means, including a gauge adapted fortelescopic engagement with one of said components whereby to define anassembly comprised of inner and outer members, the inner member havingan inclined surface in the side thereof and the outer member having athrough bore receiving said inner member and having another relativelyangularly disposed bore opening at one end into said through bore andopening at its other end to the exterior of said outer member, insertmeans having entrance into said other bore limited by said outer memberfor achieving wedging engagement with the inclined surface on said innermember positively limiting axial motion of said inner member in saidthrough bore in one direction, and means for visually indicatingacceptable and non-acceptable positions of said inner member relative tosaid outer member when wedged by said insert means.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that said innermember is a gauge and the outer member a retainer component, said gaugehaving a head end for insertion in the through bore of said retainer andwherein is formed said inclined surface and having a relativelyprojected handle end by which the gauge is inserted in said retainer anddrawn down to wedge with said insert means.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8, characterized it that said innermember is a punch component and tilt outer member is the gauge, thegauge being constructet as an annular body and said other bore openingthrougl the side of said body, the top face of the body having ad jacentlongitudinally spaced surfaces cooperating with on end of said punch todefine said visual indicating means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,466,185 4/ 1949 Stoothofi.

2,514,794 7/ 1950 Prince.

2,667,700 2/ 1954 Pistoles.

2,718,706 9/ 1955 Kustusch.

3,092,914 6/ 1963 Buscher.

SAMUEL S. MATTHEWS, Primary Examiner.

1. A GAGE UNIT FOR A BALL RETAINER PRODUCTION PIERCING PUNCH COMPRISINGA BODY HAVING A CENTRAL THROUGH PASSAGE ACCOMMODATING THE HEAD OF APUNCH, A PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID BODY BEING FLAT, A SECOND PASSAGE INSAID BODY ONE END OF WHICH OPENS TO SAID CENTRAL THROUGH PASSAGE AND THEOTHER END OF WHICH OPENS FROM SAID FLAT, A RETAINER UNIT POSITIONED FORRECRIPROCAL MOVEMENT IN SAID SECOND PASSAGE ONE EXTREMITY OF WHICH HASAN ARCUATE SURFACE PORTION ADAPTED TO PROJECT IN SAID CENTRAL PASSAGEAND FIX RELATIVE SAID BODY THE HEAD OF THE PIERCING PUNCH, MEANSCONNECTED WITH SAID BODY TO LIMIT THE EXTENT OF THE RECIPROCAL MOVEMENTOF SAID RETAINER UNIT, ONE FACE OF SAID BODY LYING IN A PLANESUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF SAID THROUGH PASSAGE, ANDMEANS ON ASID ONE FACE OF SAID BODY DEFINING THE ACCEPTABLE LIMITS OFPORJECTION OF THE HEAD EXTREMITY OF A PUNCH HELD WITHIN SAID BODY BYSAID RETAINER UNIT.